Category: Training

Training a dog to stay when commanded is a process which requires time, patience and persistence. However, training a dog to stay when commanded is also a fairly simple process.

Training a dog to stay can make managing the dog’s behavior much simpler and easier for a dog owner. By training a dog to stay on command, a dog owner can command the dog to stay and settle down when the dog becomes too active and when the dog is exhibiting undesirable behavior.

How to Train a Dog to Stay – Choosing the Proper Time and Place to Train the Dog

Effective dog training and obedience requires a quiet, calm location where the dog can concentrate on the handler alone, without distraction.

The dog must be calm, relaxed and focused in order to effectively train the dog to obey any command. Do not try to train your dog to stay on command when your dog is excited or upset.

How to Train a Dog to Stay – The First Steps

Start by commanding the dog to sit and focus his attention on you. Do not give the dog a treat or reward yet. Doing so indicates to the dog that he has completed the task being asked of him.

 

Once the dog is seated and focusing his attention on you, hold your hand directly in front of you and say “stay.” Then move to the side of the dog, walk behind the dog. Do not walk away from the dog at this point. Reward the dog when he stays as commanded.

Once the dog is staying in place as you walk around him, command the dog to “stay” and walk a step or two away from the dog. If the dog gets up and tries to follow, return the dog to the original location, again command him to sit and focus on you and then repeat the command to stay along with the hand signal.

Keep repeating this procedure until the dog remains seated while you walk a step or two away. In the beginning, ask the dog to stay only for a short time, perhaps for 15-20 seconds. Then reward the dog with a favorite food treat, toy or other reward.

How to Train a Dog to Stay – Asking More from the Dog

Once the dog is sitting and staying when you move a few steps away for a short time, it is time to move on to the next step in training the dog to stay. Try increasing the distance. Ask the dog to sit and stay as previously, but this time, move a few yards away from the dog. When the dog remains in a sitting position and does not move, reward him as before.

As the dog begins to learn the command, increasing the time the dog is expected to stay can be accomplished as well. Go slow and gradually increase the length of time required for the dog to stay.

As the dog’s training progresses, it should be possible for you walk out of the room for a short period of time while still having the dog remain in a seated position without moving.

Additional Tips for Successfully Training a Dog to Stay

Basic dog training for any command will be more successful when some basic techniques are used.

• When training a dog to perform any task, be generous with treats and rewards.
• Keep training sessions short but frequent. Dog training sessions of 10-15 minutes several times daily are usually effective.
• Make training sessions fun for the dog.
• If the dog does not perform as commanded, do not punish the dog. Simply do not reward him.
• If your dog is in a dangerous or distracting situation, do not attempt to train him under these circumstances. Remove the dog from the situation as quickly as possible. Do not reward or punish. Resume training only when the dog is relaxed and calm again.

Leash training a dog or puppy involves teaching the dog to walk calmly on a leash without pulling or tugging at the leash. A special training tool called a Gentle Leader Head Collar provides a good tool to assist in training a dog or puppy to walk on a leash.

What is the Gentle Leader Head Collar?

The Gentle Leader Head Collar is a specialized head harness made for a dog or puppy which resembles a harness used for a horse. The Gentle Leader Head Collar has two separate straps, one which fits around the muzzle of the dog or puppy and another which extends behind the ears.

The purpose of the Gentle Leader Head Collar is to allow the dog owner to gain control over the head of the dog or puppy. By properly controlling the head of the dog, the dog can be trained to walk properly on a leash without pulling or otherwise misbehaving. When using the Gentle Leader Head Collar correctly, a dog does not have the ability to pull because the handler is able to guide the dog’s nose.

 

The Gentle Leader Head Collar can be used to prevent dogs from jumping, pulling or lunging while on a leash. It can also be used to control excessive barking while on a leash because it gives the handler the ability to close the dog’s mouth as necessary.

The Gentle Leader Head Collar is Not a Muzzle

Many people mistake the Gentle Leader Head Collar for a muzzle because of the way the head collar fits around the mouth. However, there are important differences between a muzzle and the Gentle Leader Head Collar. The Gentle Leader Head Collar allows the dog to open the mouth freely in order to eat, drink, play, pant, bark or perform any other activity as long as the handler is not exerting pressure on the collar to close the mouth.

Using the Gentle Leader Head Collar in Leash Training

Positive reinforcement should be used in conjunction with the Gentle Leader Head Collar when attempting to leash train a dog or puppy. With the Gentle Leader Head Collar installed on the dog’s head, start by walking a few steps with the dog. Use the Gentle Leader Head Collar to encourage the dog to walk calmly at your side without pulling or tugging at the leash. When the dog walks calmly with you as asked, reward him with a favorite treat.

Repeat this exercise several times a day, restricting training periods to 10-15 minutes at a time. Keep the training exercises fun for the dog and be generous in rewarding with treats when appropriate. Do not punish the dog if he does not perform up to expectation. Simply return to the exercise when the dog is in a more calm and relaxed state.

Soon, the dog or puppy will be walking on the leash at the handler’s side whether wearing the Gentle Leader Head Collar or not. Once the dog is consistently walking beside the handler as asked, the Gentle Leader Head Collar can be removed. If the dog returns to the previous undesirable behavior of pulling or tugging at the leash, simply use the Gentle Leader Head Collar again for a time, until the dog is once again walking calmly and quietly beside the handler.

Alternatives to the Gentle Leader Head Collar

Choke chains and spiked choke collars are sometimes used to train dogs and puppies to walk on a leash. However, many dog handlers now feel that these types of devices are inhumane. Additionally, these devices work by placing pressure on the throat of the dog which may actually make the dog pull even harder in response.

Training a dog how to sit is usually among the first commands that a dog will learn. And fortunately, teaching a dog how to sit is among the easiest commands to train.

The “sit” command is a very important one for a dog to understand and master, because many other dog training commands – like “stay,” “down” and “shake hands” – will build upon the “sit” command. A dog who does not know how to obey a “sit” command will be unable to move on to more advanced training skills, like “stay.”

Understanding the Basics of Dog Training

Before the dog training process begins, it’s important to understand the process of how the dog will learn how to sit. The dog will be given a verbal command, usually paired with a gesture. This verbal command and gesture must be paired with the action of sitting, thereby creating an association in the dog’s mind between the act of sitting and the gesture and verbal command for “sit.”

Once the dog successfully accomplishes the “sit” command, he must receive a reward in the form of verbal praise, a food reward or a reward involving play with the dog’s favorite toy. This reward must be consistent early in the dog training process, and once the dog can “sit” reliably, the reward will be given intermittently.

Psychologists have found that an intermittent reward system based on positive reinforcement (giving something rather than taking something away, which is known as negative reinforcement) is the most effective method for controlling behavior, whether it’s the behavior of a dog or a child.

Ultimately, the dog will be trained to “sit” thanks to associations that will form in the dog’s mind: the dog will association the gesture and verbal command for “sit” with the actual action of sitting; and when rewards are given as a form of positive reinforcement, the dog will associate the reward with the act of sitting and it’s this reward system that cements the dog’s training skills.

Training a Dog How to Sit Using Food Rewards and Verbal Praise

All dog trainers use a reward system. Dog training rewards can vary from food rewards, to praise rewards and play or toy rewards.

Food rewards are usually most effective for teaching a dog how to sit, as food rewards are simple to use and simple is vital early in the game, since this is usually among the first commands that a dog will learn.

Teach a dog how to sit by doing the following:

1. Approach the dog when he’s in a calm state, like after a walk or game of fetch. A hyper dog may be difficult to train, especially if the pet is new to the dog training process.
2. Hold a small piece of food (i.e. cheese, a baby carrot or hot dog) or a dog treat.
3. Allow the dog to smell the food.
4. Once the dog begins to smell the food, raise the hand that’s holding the food over the dog’s head – this will naturally cause him to sit.
5. While raising the food over the dog’s head (which will become the “sit” gesture), give the verbal “sit” command.
6. Once the dog sits, give the dog the food reward and verbal praise.
7. Once the dog sits consistently, only raise food over the dog’s head intermittently, but continue to do the hand motion. And instead, give a reward from a pocket or treat pouch once the dog sits and continue to give verbal praise on every successful “sit.”
8. Once the dog sits reliably without the use of food in the hand that makes the “sit” gesture, begin giving intermittent food rewards for “sitting.” Give only verbal praise and petting on some occasions.
9. Practice the “sit” command in different situations, locations and scenarios to help to improve the dog’s training. It’s vital that the dog will obey the “sit” command even if distractions are present.

It’s important to remember that the training reward must be given within two seconds of the dog’s action (in this case, sitting). Otherwise, the dog will not associate the treat or other reward with the act of sitting. In other words, the dog will receive a treat or other reward, but he’ll have no idea why; if the reward is delayed, the dog will not make the connection that the reward was for the trained behavior of sitting.

When training a dog, it’s important to work with the pet in small sessions. A dog – especially a puppy – does not have the patience for a one-hour training session. Instead, work in five or ten-minute sessions to make the dog training process easier for both dog and owner.

What does it mean to be alpha? How do dogs exhibit alpha behavior? Why is it important for a dog owner to act like the alpha in a dog’s “pack?” And how does a human assume the role of alpha?

These are all common questions that arise among dog owners, particularly when they are attempting to solve a dog’s behavior problem. A dog who has assumed the role of alpha in the “pack” that is the dog’s human family will be prone to canine behavior problems like aggression and a dog who thinks he’s the alpha among humans will be a difficult dog to live with due to a wide array of behavior problems and training problems.

What is a Dog Pack Alpha? Why is the Alpha Important?

In nature, dogs live within a distinct social hierarchy. The most dominant dog will become the leader of the dog pack – the alpha. There is typically an alpha male and an alpha female in each dog pack who are typically the primary breeding pair in the dog pack.

The alpha dog is not always the physically largest dog in the pack. In the dog world, it’s all about attitude; the alpha dog is the most dominant dog. The alpha is typically among the smartest dogs in the pack, with keen hunting skills and other survival skills.

The alpha dog will growl or snarl when challenged and when other pack members overstep their boundaries, the alpha dog is apt to snap or bite. Remember, dogs do not say “You’re treading on thin ice,” “Back off!” or “You’re really getting me angry” with words – they communicate this with their body language and with their teeth. Unfortunately, many dogs are incorrectly labeled as “bad” or “mean dogs” when this behavior occurs with a human, when, in fact, the behavior is actually related to dominance and the dog’s perceived alpha position.

The alpha dog is important because dogs naturally seek to follow a leader – most dogs are not cut out to be the alpha, and most dogs would rather follow than lead. The alpha dog will maintain a distinct social hierarchy within a dog pack and as the leader, the alpha is essential to the pack’s well-being.

Examples of Alpha Behaviors in Dogs

In the home, a dog who believes that he is the alpha is going to exhibit an array of problematic and unacceptable behaviors, including dominance, aggression, a general stubbornness and poor training skills.

If a dog owner is to regain control in the dog’s “pack” by taking on the role of alpha, the first step involves recognizing and discouraging distinctly alpha behaviors, which include:

• Aggression Toward Humans When Food is Present
• Aggression Toward Humans When Disturbed From Rest or Sleep
• Aggression Toward Humans When a Human Takes a Toy
• Aggression Toward Humans When the Dog is Disciplined
• Mounting/Humping a Human’s Leg or Arm
• Sitting on or Placing a Paw on Top of a Human’s Leg, etc. While the Human is Seated

In nature, the alpha dog also gets to eat first, he gets the best sleeping location, the best mate, the best toys and the alpha dog is the only dog who is allowed to initiate eye contact with the other dogs. The alpha dog will also exhibit aggression whenever he is challenged by another dog.

How to Become the Alpha

Part of good dog ownership involves assuming the role of alpha. A dog who thinks he’s the alpha is going to be prone to exhibiting aggression, dominance and other unacceptable behaviors.

In a home setting, it’s also common to see symptoms of stress and anxiety in a dog who’s assumed the role of alpha. The vast majority of dogs are not cut out to be the alpha, so when they’re thrust into this position, the dog gets anxious and stressed because he genuinely believes that he is in control of and responsible for his “pack.”

If a human is to regain control over a dog by assuming the position of alpha, two things must occur. The dog owner must first identify and discourage distinctly alpha behaviors (i.e. dominance and aggression). Secondly, the dog owner must start acting like the alpha of the pack by using a firm voice, standing tall, and adopting a zero-tolerance stance when the dog exhibits signs of aggression, dominance or other alpha behaviors.

Regaining control over a dog who believes that he is the alpha in the home can be a difficult task that will be made much easier by understanding what types of behaviors are “alpha behaviors” and then discouraging those alpha behaviors. Simultaneously, the dog owner must perform alpha exercises with the dog to reinforce the owner’s role as the pack leader. And thirdly, the dog owner must embody what it means to be alpha – if a dog owner doesn’t believe that he is the pack leader, neither will the dog.

Using a leash as a dog training tool has been made famous by the Dog Whisperer on his popular TV series. This simple tool can transform any problem dog into a great pet because it transforms a problem dog owner into a great master!

The secret to a good dog is lots of attention as a puppy. Playing, throwing balls, catching a frisbie, pulling rope are all great fun, but it is the walk with the leash which will have the most benefit for the dog/owner relationship. Even if your dog is older, and has developed some problem habits, the daily walk will help bring it into alignment.

It’s always important to understand dog psychology in training your pet. Your dog does not understand English, and does not have the same desires for comfort and freedom that you have. Having a conversation about right and wrong with your dog does very little to train her! To a dog, comfort and freedom comes from understanding what is going on, feeling a sense of connection with the pack, and knowing who is boss. A good owner communicates these things to their dog through actions.

The Number One Question: Who is in Charge

If a dog does not have a definite sense that someone else is in charge, then they will naturally try to take charge: always with a detrimental result. Always remember that the dog is living in a human world; they have to live by human rules and needs. Dogs will never completely understand cars, neighbors and cats! Because of this, the dog can never be in charge. The dog simply does not have, and can never have, a deep enough understanding of the human world to be the boss.

A good example is the visitor. When someone comes up to your house they are almost always friendly. In fact, it could be your closest friend. But still dogs bark and growl and act protective of the pack’s territory. You can’t have a discussion with the dog about it, because they will never get it. Instead, they have to learn that you are in charge and that they are not running the show.

Leash Techniques

Walking a dog with a leash should be done in a masterful way. If the dog is pulling or wandering off to the side during the walk they will not be gaining much benefit. Be the boss and make your dog walk at your side, slightly behind, and make them pay attention to you.

Many dog breeds, particularly the more aggressive breeds, will want to be in charge on the walk. A good way to counter this behavior is to walk unpredictably. If they never know exactly which way you are going, when you might start or stop, or how fast or slow you will go, then they will learn to pay attention and watch. That is exactly what you want, to walk along with a bright eyed dog watching you for direction. This kind of a walk will actually bring a sense of harmony to your dogs mind because they will have a firm sense that you are in charge.

Difficult Breeds

My dog is a Blue Heeler, a very dominant breed. Even though we live out in the country where it would be perfectly safe for him to walk off a leash, I still take him for a leashed walk every evening. You would think that he knows the difference, but he doesn’t. He acts just like a dog in the city. When I grab the leash and get ready to go on the walk, he jumps up excited, bows his head so I can put on the leash, and smiles at the door waiting for me to open it and head out on the walk. It doesn’t matter that he has been running around the yard freely all day. We might have even taken several walks that morning without a leash. When I grab the leash he never thinks, “Geeze, what is she thinking? I know my way around here. I’ve been running around all day!” Instead he is just excited for a walk.

Dogs like to spend time with their people. That’s all that really matters. The leash may not be completely necessary, but it helps bring his mind into focus, and keeps us happy in our little pack: with me in charge.

Puppies chew. They chew on wood, clothes, hands–anything they can get in their mouths.

Chewing is an essential part of their emotional and physical development, as they learn how they can relate to the world around them and as they deal with the discomfort of teething.

They learn how hard they can bite another dog through their interactions with their mothers and their littermates. When a puppy bites too hard, the other puppy runs away. If the puppy continues to bite too hard, none of the other puppies will want to play with him. He quickly learns that he needs to bite soft if he wants to continue to have fun.

Then a puppy encounters humans, who want to play but don’t allow any biting. A lot of times, when a puppy bites a human, the human yells and scolds. The puppy may not recognize the continued attention they get as a correction, and they may continue to bite harder and more frequently than their owner would like.

Act Like a Dog

One appropriate way to correct biting behavior is to react like another puppy would. Yelp or make some sort of sharp, fast sound that lets your dog know that the bite hurt. Immediately withdraw from all activity with the puppy. Get up and walk away, leaving the room if necessary. Or simply bring your hands to your sides and completely ignore the puppy.

When the puppy calms down, re-engage him in play. If he bites again, act the same way. He will learn that when he plays with people, he needs to keep his teeth to himself.

Reinforce the Behavior

Make sure that your entire family is involved in training bite inhibition. All family members should give a short, sharp sound if the puppy uses teeth and immediately end the interaction. That way, the puppy will learn that he should keep his teeth to himself in all interactions with humans.

Use a Clicker

Sometimes, this behavior modification technique doesn’t work. Especially in the case of an only puppy, or a singleton, the yelping sound gets the puppy more excited and withholding attention just makes him engage in escalating behaviors to get attention.

A more direct training method would work here. Get a clicker and teach the puppy that the clicker means reward. Click it and give the puppy a treat immediately. If treats don’t motivate your puppy, pet him right after you click. Repeat this until the puppy associates the click with the reward.

Then, keep the clicker handy while you play with the puppy. If the puppy mouths you, say “uh-uh” and wait for the puppy to release. As soon as the puppy releases, click and then give the reward. Continue this method until the puppy learns that he gets rewarded when his teeth are not on people. If you see the puppy start to bite then pull back, click and reward.

Other Reward Markers

This method is very effective, and it will help you with further obedience training. But, it can be hard to manage a clicker, a treat, and a playful puppy all at once. Try a Click-and-Lick clicker or a finger clicker to make it easier. Or use a word to mark the correct behavior and then provide the reward. The word should be one syllable any family member can say fast enough to mark the behavior–“yes” works really well, “good puppy” takes too long.

Have Fun

The best part about these training methods? The entire family gets to play with the puppy and engage in learning in a fun environment. This increases the puppy-owner bonds and teaches the puppy that training time is fun time.